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    Home » Soups & Salads

    Published: Jun 25, 2020 · Modified: May 16, 2024 by Kadee

    Cilantro Dressing (Trader Joe's Copycat)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A copycat of Trader Joe's Cilantro Dressing, this delicious condiment combines fresh cilantro, jalapeño, lime and garlic for a bright, fresh salad topper.  Use it for a salad dressing, or a veggie dip.  This Lime Cilantro Dressing is whipped up in minutes in your blender for a homemade, quick addition to your dinner.

    Lime cilantro dressing in a glass container, style with cilantro leaves and squeezed limes.

    What Is Cilantro Dressing?

    Dressings like this one have become popular in recent years by being served at restaurants like Cafe Rio, and Costa Vida.  There also was a popular dressing sold at Trader Joe's.

    Cilantro dressing being poured from a glass bottle onto a salad of greens, sweet shredded pork, tortilla strips, and avocado.

    What Do I Need To Make Lime Cilantro Dressing?

    You'll need to add the following to your shopping list:

    • mayonaise
    • olive oil
    • rice vinegar
    • cotija cheese
    • fresh cilantro
    • fresh jalapeno
    • garlic
    • lime
    • salt

    Ingredients needed for Lime cilantro dressing - cilantro, jalapeño, lime, garlic, olive oil, rice vinegar, cotija cheese.

    Tell Me How To Make It!

    Making this dressing is incredibly easy!

    1. Wash your veggies.
    2. Seed your jalapeño.
    3. Add all ingredients to your blender.
    4. Blend until smooth.

    Jalapeno, cotija, cilantro, and lime in a blender jar.

    What Should I Serve With Cilantro Dressing?

    This is a wonderful salad dressing to keep on hand.  You can add it to so many things.  The bright and fresh flavor is a nice addition to a simple green salad, but it also goes great with a copycat Cafe Rio Salad with sweet pork.  Add pinto beans, cilantro rice, pico de Gallo, and guacamole.

    Also add it to your:

    burrito bowls

    steak kabobs

    breakfast burritos

    Green dressing in a glass bottle. Set in front of a cafe rio style salad.

    How Do I Store This Dressing?

    Store this dressing up to 5 days in an air tight container in the fridge.  I'm sure you'll have no problem using it up!

    Birds eye view of green salad dressing in a glass container.

    I Love Making Dressings!  Do You Have Other Recipes?

    We sure do!  Check out our salad recipes for:

    Apple Gorgonzola Salad

    Marinated Cucumber Salad

    Ramen Noodle Salad

    Dressing set in front of a cafe rio salad.

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    Try this recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave us a comment below. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to see what else we’re getting up to!  And don’t forget to pin this recipe to save for later.

    Lime cilantro dressing in a glass container, style with cilantro leaves and squeezed limes.

    Cilantro Dressing (Trader Joe's Copycat)

    A copycat of Trader Joe's Cilantro Dressing, this delicious condiment combines fresh cilantro, jalapeño, lime and garlic for a bright, fresh salad topper. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 284kcal
    Author: Kadee & Desarae

    Ingredients

    Cilantro Dressing

    • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
    • 4 tablespoon olive oil
    • ¼ cup mayo
    • 3 oz. cojita cheese or queso fresco
    • juice of 1 lime
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1 jalapeno pepper washed, seeds removed
    • ½ cup cilantro leaves washed
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to a blender in order given.
    • Process until smooth.

    Notes

    The dressing will firm up when refrigerated due to the cojita. To serve leftovers dressing, mix it with a little lime juice and/or water to thin it back out. Lasts 5 days refrigerated.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @OhSoDelicioso or tag #ohsodelicioso!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nicole says

      May 14, 2024 at 7:45 pm

      I'm in the middle of making this and I see it's called poblano cilantro dressing, but no poblanos on the ingredients. Is there supposed to be any in the dressing?

      Reply
      • Kadee says

        May 16, 2024 at 7:36 pm

        Hi Nicole - no there are no poblanos. Originally it had them, and over the years I tweaked the recipe to be like the TJs version and omitted the poblano. So you just caught something I failed to remove. So thank you! I'll fix it up.

        Reply
    2. Bianca says

      July 25, 2023 at 8:08 am

      5 stars
      Very nice! I used 1 teaspoon of salt (FWIW, 1/2 tablespoon is 1 1 /2 teaspoons), less than called for and thought it was a bit too much. I feel the salt from the cheese (I used queso fresco) is probably plenty enough, and I can adjust the salt on the salad separately. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    3. Melissa says

      December 29, 2014 at 4:17 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious! We tried this tonight and it was a welcome break from holiday gluttony! I made the salad for my husband and I and used it as a side for the kids alongside pasta with a crushed tomato sauce. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    4. Adri says

      December 27, 2014 at 8:33 pm

      This looks great, and frankly it is welcome and flavorful break from all the holiday fare! I hope your holidays have been terrific, and all the best for 2015!

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes

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